''The NBC Monday Movie'' was a television

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a dif ...

of films that debuted on February 4, 1963 (in the middle of the 1962-63 season). It was referred to as ''Monday Night at the Movies'' prior to the mid-1980s. Contrary to popular contemporary belief, the corporate initials, "NBC", were, at first, not part of the official title for the network's anthologies of old movies, and would not be for years to come. Thus, in 1964, when the show was transferred by the network's programming executives to Wednesday nights, it became ''Wednesday Night at the Movies''. And in 1965, when the program moved to Tuesdays, it became ''Tuesday Night at the Movies''. It would remain there until 1969. The name would henceforth change depending on whichever night of the week the program aired. Moreover, by 1968, there was once again a weekly ''Monday Night at the Movies'' on the air. It ran until 1997. In the latter years of ''Monday Night at the Movie's'' run, more and more

made-for-TV movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

s were showcased, while theatrical films, fewer in number, were

edited Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, org ...

for content, to remove objectionable material, and occasionally, but not always, to reduce the film's running time to fit into the two-hour time slot. Most widescreen films were pan-and-scanned so the image would fit the standard 4:3 television screen (as opposed to

letterbox A letter box, letterbox, letter plate, letter hole, mail slot or mailbox is a receptacle for receiving incoming mail at a private residence or business. For outgoing mail, Post boxes are often used for depositing the mail for collection, althou ...

format). An exception was the 1951 film version of ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...

'', which made its television debut on ''Monday Night at the Movies'' in 1972. ''Show Boat'' had been produced by MGM before the advent of widescreen American films in 1953. It was a rather unusual offering since (then) it was a twenty-one-year-old film. (In fact, the oldest film shown on any of NBC's "At the Movies" anthologies was ''

Saratoga Trunk ''Saratoga Trunk'' is a 1945 American Western film (or historical romance film, per the American Film Institute) directed by Sam Wood and starring Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman, and Flora Robson. Written by Casey Robinson, based on the novel '' ...

'' (1945), which aired on ''Saturday Night at the Movies'', January 13, 1968, 23 years after its Hollywood premiere.)

Background

The idea for the show came about when advertisers opted out of two 60-minute shows the network ran on Monday nights for the 1962–1963 season -- '' It's A Man's World'' (from 7:30-8:30 pm, Eastern Time) and '' Saints and Sinners'' (from 8:30-9:30), the latter of which suffered from having "no chemistry, and never any real ratings." Having experienced some audience success with ''

Saturday Night at the Movies ''Saturday Night at the Movies'' was a weekly television series on TVOntario, the public educational television network in Ontario, Canada. The series presented classic movies, followed by interviews and feature segments with directors, actors ...

'' ever since its premiere in Fall 1961, the network decided to acquire more

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

s as a stop-gap measure for NBC's dismal numbers on Monday nights. Thus, a package of 42 movies from

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

and 35 titles from MGM were purchased by the network for both its Monday and Saturday night movie series at a cost of $14 million. With a 7:30 pm (EST) start time, the movies of the show's first season were made up of mostly action-adventures, an occasional romance such as ''

My Cousin Rachel ''My Cousin Rachel'' is a Gothic novel written by English author Daphne du Maurier, published in 1951. Bearing thematic similarities to her earlier and more famous novel ''Rebecca'', it is a mystery-romance, set primarily on a large estate in ...

'', and two

Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...

musicals. These films usually ran under 100 minutes, the normal running-time for a two-hour movie slot (with commercial interruptions) in 1963.

The first two series of films (February 1963-April 1964)

The first incarnation of ''Monday Night at the Movies'' lasted from February 1963 until early September 1964. Despite the promise of big name stars each week, the series was no match for the CBS lineup of game shows and sitcoms such as ''

The Lucy Show ''The Lucy Show'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1962 to 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to '' I Love Lucy''. A significant change in cast and premise for the fourth season (1965–1966) divides the program into two distin ...

'' and ''

The Danny Thomas Show ''The Danny Thomas Show'' (titled ''Make Room for Daddy'' for its first three seasons) is an American sitcom that ran from 1953 to 1957 on ABC and from 1957 to 1964 on CBS. Starring Danny Thomas as a successful night club entertainer, the show ...

''. In hopes of better ratings and to re-coup some of their investment, the films in the second list below would be re-broadcast on ''

'' in the late spring and summer of 1964. Unless otherwise indicated, all films aired from 7:30pm–9:30pm Eastern Time on Monday Nights. The last number in the second list below notes the Nielsen rating the movie received: These first sixteen titles (all produced by 20th Century Fox studios) were aired on the following dates: # (1963-02-04) ''

The Enemy Below ''The Enemy Below'' is a 1957 DeLuxe Color war film in CinemaScope about a battle between an American destroyer escort and a German U-boat during World War II. Produced and directed by Dick Powell, the movie stars Robert Mitchum and Curt J� ...

'' (1957) # (1963-02-11) '' The Bravados'' (1958) # (1963-02-18) '' Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison'' (1957) # (1963-02-25) ''

King of the Khyber Rifles ''King of the Khyber Rifles'' is a novel by British writer Talbot Mundy. Captain Athelstan King is a secret agent for the British Raj at the beginning of the First World War. Heavily influenced both by Mundy's own unsuccessful career in India ...

'' (1953) # (1963-03-04) '' Hell and High Water'' (1954) # (1963-03-11) ''

Prince Valiant ''Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur'', often simply called ''Prince Valiant'', is an American comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretc ...

'' (1954) # (1963-03-18) ''

Boy on a Dolphin ''Boy on a Dolphin'' is a 1957 American romantic adventure film from 20th Century Fox set in Greece and shot in DeLuxe Color and CinemaScope. It was directed by Jean Negulesco and produced by Samuel G. Engel from a screenplay by Ivan Moffat and ...

'' (1957) # (1963-03-25) '' From Hell to Texas'' (1958) # (1963-04-01) ''

'' (1952) # (1963-04-08) '' April Love'' (1957) # (1963-04-15) ''

An Affair to Remember ''An Affair to Remember'' is a 1957 American romance film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Filmed in CinemaScope, it was distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is considered among the most romantic films of all ti ...

'' (1957) (2 hrs, 30 min.) # (1963-04-22) '' The Barbarian and the Geisha'' (1958) # (1963-04-29) '' The Hunters'' (1958) # (1963-05-06) '' Harry Black and the Tiger'' (1958) # (1963-05-13) '' The Mudlark'' (1950) # (1963-05-20) ''

Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "Fa ...

'' (1958) From here through September 9, the above titles were rerun on Monday nights. None of them appeared on NBC's other film series, ''

''. The second season began below and mixed in MGM titles with those of 20th Century Fox. Like the above-listed films, these were all television premieres. The Nielsen ratings are listed next to the release year of each title. One interesting note: There is no entry below for November 25, 1963. This was the Monday after the Friday that President John Kennedy was assassinated. Monday was the date of the state funeral, which was given all-day coverage by the networks. Understandably, NBC thus postponed broadcasting the musical ''

Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell and Cyd C ...

'' (originally slated for 1963-11-25) until later in the season. # (1963-09-16) '' Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' (1955) (19.7) # (1963-09-23) '' David and Bathsheba'' (1951; 2hrs, 30 min.) (17.9) # (1963-09-30) '' Executive Suite'' (1954) (15.4) # (1963-10-07) ''

The Wreck of the Mary Deare ''The Wreck of the Mary Deare'' (in the UK published as ''The Mary Deare'') is a 1956 novel written by British author Hammond Innes, which was later adapted as a film starring Gary Cooper released in 1959 by MGM. According to Jack Adrian, the ...

'' (1959) (15.5) # (1963-10-14) ''

The Rains of Ranchipur ''The Rains of Ranchipur'' is a 1955 American drama and disaster film made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Jean Negulesco and produced by Frank Ross from a screenplay by Merle Miller, based on the 1937 novel ''The Rains Came'' by Lo ...

'' (1955) (16.0) # (1963-10-21) '' The Mating Game'' (1959) (27.1) # (1963-10-28) ''

Good Morning, Miss Dove ''Good Morning, Miss Dove'' is a 1955 DeLuxe Color and CinemaScope film that tells the sentimental story of a beloved schoolteacher who reflects back on her life and former students when she is hospitalized. It stars Jennifer Jones, Robert Stack, ...

'' (1955) (19.4) # (1963-11-04) '' White Feather'' (1955) (18.2) # (1963-11-11) '' Father of the Bride'' (1950) (19.3) # (1963-11-18) '' The Reluctant Debutante'' (1958) (16.5) # (1963-12-02) '' House of Numbers'' (1957) (16.7) # (1963-12-09) ''

The Wings of Eagles ''The Wings of Eagles'' is a 1957 American Metrocolor film starring John Wayne, Dan Dailey and Maureen O'Hara, based on the life of Frank "Spig" Wead and the history of U.S. Naval aviation from its inception through World War II. The film is ...

'' (1957) (22.3) # (1963-12-16) '' Lost World'' (1960) (20.7) # (1963-12-23) '' The Power and the Prize'' (1956) (N/A) # (1963-12-30) ''

Kiss Me Kate ''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical written by Bella and Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off-sta ...

'' (1953) (15.9) # (1964-01-06) '' The Seven Cities of Gold'' (1955) (17.4) # (1964-01-13) ''

'' (1952) (19.4) # (1964-01-20) ''

Action of the Tiger ''Action of the Tiger'' is a 1957 British CinemaScope action film directed by Terence Young and starring Van Johnson and Martine Carol. It was distributed by MGM. The plot is about the rescue of a political prisoner held in Albania. Carson, pla ...

'' (1957) (15.8) # (1964-01-27) ''

House of Bamboo ''House of Bamboo'' is a 1955 American film noir shot in CinemaScope and DeLuxe Color, directed and co-written by Samuel Fuller, and starring Robert Ryan. The other co-screenwriter was Harry Kleiner. The cinematographer was Joseph MacDonald. Pl ...

'' (1955) (17.7) # (1964-02-03) ''

Phone Call from a Stranger ''Phone Call from a Stranger'' is a 1952 American film noir drama film directed by Jean Negulesco from a screenplay by Nunnally Johnson, based on the 1950 novelette of the same name by I. A. R. Wylie. The film centers on the survivor of an airc ...

'' (1952) (18.2) # (1964-02-10) '' Treasure of the Golden Condor'' (1953) (17.4) # (1964-02-17) '' The Safecracker'' (1958) (13.4) # (1964-02-24) '' Prince of Players'' (1955) (10.6) # (1964-03-02) ''

Underwater Warrior ''Underwater Warrior'' is a 1958 CinemaScope film telling the story of the US Navy's Underwater Demolition Teams between World War II and the Korean War. It was based on the 1957 nonfiction book ''The Naked Warriors'' by Commander Francis Dougla ...

'' (1958) (16.0) # (1964-03-09) '' The 39 Steps'' (1960) (15.0) # (1964-03-16) '' The View from Pompey's Head'' (1955) (18.5) # (1964-03-23) ''

The Racers ''The Racers'' is a 1955 film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Kirk Douglas and Bella Darvi. The film is based on the book by Hans Ruesch entitled ''The Racer'', based on the life of Rudolf Caracciola.Automobile Quarterly 2005 "In 1953, 2 ...

'' (1955) (16.6) # (1964-03-30) ''

The Pride of St. Louis ''The Pride of St. Louis'' is a 1952 American biographical film of the life of Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean. It starred Dan Dailey as Dean, Joanne Dru as his wife, and Richard Crenna as his brother Paul "Daffy" Dean, als ...

'' (1952) (18.9) # (1964-04-06) '' The Virgin Queen'' (1955) (14.4) # (1964-04-13) '' Never Let Me Go'' (1960) (17.1) From here, reruns were shown for the remainder of the season until mid-September 1964, when NBC announced that it would discontinue ''Monday Night at the Movies''. Instead, a new prime-time movie night, Wednesdays, from 9 until 11 p.m. (ET), became the time slot for the network's alternative film anthology during the 1964–65 seasonAdams, Val. "NBC-TV Acquires Post-1948 Movies: Buys Paramount Features for Showing in Fall." ''New York Times''. (February 12, 1964): p. 67. while Saturday nights remained a mainstay for NBC's film broadcasts.

References

External links

Episode List: NBC Monday Night Movies (Feb. 8 1971 - May 19, 2003) - TV Tango
{{DEFAULTSORT:NBC Monday Movie 1963 American television series debuts 1960s American anthology television series 1970s American anthology television series 1980s American anthology television series 1990s American anthology television series 2000s American anthology television series 2003 American television series endings English-language television shows American motion picture television series NBC original programming